U.S. Pat. No. 5,646,715 discloses an illuminating arrangement for a microlithographic projection system wherein the following elements are arranged in sequence: light source, shutter, in-coupling objective (zoom axicon), glass rod as an integrator, reticle masking system, REMA objective for imaging the intermediate field plane on the reticle. The intermediate field plane lies in the reticle masking system. The REMA objective includes a first lens group, a pupillary intermediate plane, a second lens group, a deflecting mirror, a third lens group and the reticle plane with the reticle. Thereafter, a projection objective follows which normally operates in reduction and (for example, for non-telecentric input) includes an inner-lying pupillary plane. The wafer follows in the image plane.
European patent publication 0,526,242 discloses a projection exposure apparatus including an integrator in the form of a condenser having a honeycomb structure. A projection objective follows the integrator and is located ahead of the reticle masking system. The reticle edge masking assembly is optically conjugated (that is, imaged to the plane of the reticle) via two lens groups and a mirror. At the same time, the diaphragm at the outlet of the integrator (the secondary light source) is imaged onto the pupil of the projection objective via the two lens groups and portions of the projection objective. No mention is made of imaging errors.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,742,436 discloses a very wide aperture catadioptric reducing objective lens for microlithography. The embodiment shown in FIG. 3 of this application and the structural data given in Table 2 thereof are precisely adapted to the embodiment of a REMA objective disclosed in the present application. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,742,436 and 5,646,715 are both incorporated herein by reference. Table 2 of this application corresponds to Table 2 of U.S. Pat. No. 5,742,436.